New Jersey Representative Chris Smith speaking to Rudaw's Diyar Kurda on January 30, 2023. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A United States congressman on Tuesday told Rudaw that the Kurdistan Region needs to be able to defend itself, in light of the recent Iranian attack on Erbil, voicing support that the US government provides its Kurdish allies with missile defense systems.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired at least 10 ballistic missiles towards different parts of Erbil province on January 15, under the pretext of targeting Israeli Mossad bases and headquarters of anti-Iran groups. At least five of the missiles targeted the residence of Peshraw Dizayee, a well-known Kurdish businessman, killing Dizayee, his 11-month-old daughter, and two others.
“They [Kurds] need the ability to defend themselves,” New Jersey Representative Chris Smith told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda, stressing that he does not believe Tehran’s claim that the strike was targeting bases of the Mossad.
“They don’t like the Kurds either,” he added.
Kurdish and Iraqi authorities have vehemently refuted Tehran’s claims, calling them “baseless.” An Iraqi fact-finding committee to investigate the claims visited the site of the attack the day after and announced it had found no evidence suggesting espionage activities.
The congressman said that the US needs to be “faithful” towards the Kurdistan Region considering Erbil’s commitment and solidarity with Washington throughout the years, and expressed support for providing the Region with anti-missile systems.
“Yes… I hope they [Joe Biden administration] do. There has got to be a protection. Missiles are dropping everywhere and now they are dropping, or have dropped, in Erbil,” he added.
Iran-affiliated militias have attacked bases of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria with rockets and drones at least 165 times since October 17. US forces have responded with several retaliatory strikes, killing at least 12 militiamen in Iraq.
Baghdad has strongly condemned the American retaliatory strikes as a “violation” of its sovereignty, and expressed its intent to expel coalition forces from Iraq.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said earlier this month that Iran’s deadly missile attack on Erbil is an indication that Iraq and the Region are still very prone to terrorist attacks and are therefore still in need of the assistance of the coalition forces.
Thousands of foreign military personnel are stationed in Iraq as part of the international coalition which has assisted Kurdish and Iraqi forces in the fight against ISIS and has continued to provide training and advice to the armed groups since the militant group’s territorial defeat in 2017.
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